


Something There

by TheAuthor44



Category: Ugly Betty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 19:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29194326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAuthor44/pseuds/TheAuthor44
Summary: Canon based AU. 4x08 - The Bahamas TriangleIf things went a little differently...Betty ends up helping Daniel with a "certain issue" without even trying, which leads him to take a hard (no pun intended) look at how he really feels.AKA How Daniel Meade Realized He Was In Love With Betty SuarezAKA the missing Detty scenes we SHOULD have gotten in S4  - episode by episode!
Relationships: Daniel Meade & Betty Suarez, Daniel Meade/Betty Suarez
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	1. The Bahamas Triangle

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to maevewilxys on Tumblr for sparking this particular idea!
> 
> And I quote: "Betty could have been frustrated, but instead of taking it out on Amanda, she could have gone to hang out with Daniel."
> 
> While I see the potential between these two starting all the way in season 1, their possibility for romance really was shoehorned in at the very end of the series. And we hardcore Detty shippers deserved better than that!
> 
> Enjoy!

“How did things go with Suzanna?” Marc asked, as he and Daniel found themselves together once again at the hotel bar. 

Daniel wasn’t sure how to answer, knowing he would probably get teased mercilessly about his newfound … _condition_. So, he did the only logical thing… he lied through his teeth.

“Uh, great. I mean, well, not to talk out of school but we did things I’ve never even seen in movies.” 

“Easy there, Tiger. Anytime a guy overcompensates that much it usually means the other person wasn’t into it.” Marc replied, taking a sip of his cocktail.

“Oh no, I mean, she was … she was _into it._ ” 

“Oh…” Marc said, instantly decoding the message between the lines “ _Ohhhh_ you couldn’t get the rooster to crow.”

“Marc, that never happens to me. I can get turned on anywhere! Elevators, ATMs, pharmacy..”

“Got it.”

“Golf course…”

“Okay.”

“Kinda once at a bris.”

“Wow. Well, look, maybe the problem is you’re trying to be who you were before. And you’ve changed since... Molly” Daniel waited for the sting that eventually followed her name, only to find it replaced with camaraderie as Marc’s face took on a sullen look. “When that happens, you know, it’s hard to go back.”

Before Daniel could think of something to say in return, Betty came over; sliding onto the bar stool to his right. As she threw her head down over her crossed arms which laid upon the bar, Daniel couldn’t help but stifle a chuckle at her dramatic flare.

“Bartender, I think we need a banana daiquiri over here. Pronto!” Daniel joked, as he gestured to Betty.

“I can’t drink, I have to wrangle the models later.” She replied, her voice muffled.

“Is that what’s bothering you?” Daniel asked, before getting interrupted by Marc.

“Hey Betty, I know what will make you feel better. Unnecessary, but very juicy, information about Daniel’s private life! So earlier he and this blonde…”

“Um, hey Marc, don’t look now... but I think that guy is playing for your team” Daniel said, as he pointed to a well toned guy across the bar with one too many tiny umbrellas in his drink.

“Oooh good eye. If you’ll excuse me I think I’ll go get some much needed vacation sex. You two … _console_ each other.” Marc said, before taking his leave. 

Daniel was never more thankful for a gay man in that moment. The last thing he wanted was to talk about his equipment malfunction, with Betty of all people. Speaking of Betty, she finally lifted her head just as her drink arrived. Sliding it closer to her, Daniel tried once more to console his friend.

“You wanna tell me about it?” He asked.

“Matt brought Amanda on this trip because they apparently have feelings for each other.”

“Well, what about you? Do you still have feelings for him?”

“I don’t know. Maybe? I thought I did, but Amanda brought up a good point. I never really thought about what Matt wanted. Which is Amanda, apparently. They’re having a romantic dinner on a private beach somewhere. So, I guess that answers that.”

“Betty, I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do?”

“No, thanks. When I wrangle models tonight, I’ll just have to try to block out any images of Matt and Amanda...on a private beach… at sunset… with their clothes off...” She replied, her sentence ending in an aggravated groan.

“You know what you need?” Daniel said, inspiration striking. He needed a distraction from his problem, and everyone knows misery loves company.

“Something stronger than a banana daiquiri?” Betty replied, finally taking a sip.

“No. How about you and me hanging out tonight? I think we could both use a little fun, what do you say?”

“That’s very sweet, Daniel. But I can’t, I have to watch the models.”

“Come on, they’re grown ups. They can look after themselves for one night.”

“What about Wilhelmina?”

“I’m an editor-in-chief too, remember? Come on, Betty. I could really use the company. You’d be doing me a big favor.”

“Wait, I thought you were going to try and find the old, man-slutty Daniel this weekend? Are you sure I wouldn’t be robbing some leggy blonde of your company?”

“I’d rather hang out with you over a leggy blonde any day, Betty. Now come on, let’s go paint the town … yellow!” Daniel exclaimed, as Betty finally gave him a smile.

* * *

That night was the most fun either of them had in a long time. A few more drinks at the bar later, they went to dinner at the hotel’s seafood restaurant. After that, they went to the outdoor club at the hotel where they danced, talked, laughed, and drank some more. In the midst of all their fun, Daniel swiped a very expensive bottle of tequila from behind the bar. Which resulted in them running from a very angry bartender. They drunkenly stumbled to the beach, laughing as they tried to catch their breath.

“I have never seen a bartender leap over the bar before. Did you see how red his face got?!” Betty said through breathy laughs, grabbing the bottle from Daniel before taking a swig. 

“He was so mad. But it’s okay, I’ll just leave him a really big tip … tomorrow.”

“If you remember.” Betty said, taking a seat in the sand.

“Well, that’s why I have you.” Daniel replied, sitting down next to her. He took the bottle for himself, glancing up at the beautiful night sky. A blanket of a million stars, unobstructed by city lights and smog; it was absolutely breathtaking. “You know, I’ve felt more like my old self in the past few hours than I have in months. Thank you again for hanging out with me tonight, Betty. You’re a great friend.” 

“That’s me… you’re friend.” Betty said, sipping from the almost empty bottle. Daniel scrambled to his feet, stretching his arms above his head.

“I don’t want this to be over just yet. You feel like taking a walk?” He asked

“Okay, but at some point you might have to carry me back to my room.”

“Are you propositioning me, Miss Suarez?” Daniel joked, as he helped Betty up off the sand.

“What! No!” Betty screeched, but it only made Daniel laugh harder. They were about halfway down the beach when she spoke again … or rather slurred. “Daniel. Daniel, I have to tell you something. I’m not as good a friend as you think I am. Otherwise, I would have told you sooner...”

“Told me what sooner?” Daniel said, stopping them in their tracks.

“Well, remember when your mother and I rescued you from the Order of the Pigeon…”

“Phoenix.” He corrected, laughing again. Daniel didn’t know anyone who made him laugh as much as Betty did, even when she wasn’t trying.

“Whatever. I kinda, sorta … didn’t tell you everything. But it was only because you had been through so much, I didn’t want to make you feel worse.”

“Betty, what are you talking about?”

“Okay, remember when you asked me about seeing Molly, and how I was standing right there…” Betty said, the tone of her voice obviously hinting at something.

“Yeah…” Daniel mimicked her tone, too inebriated to actually guess.

“I lied. You didn’t kiss me on the forehead.” Betty said, earning her a raised brow from her friend. “We kissed. There! I said it. I feel so much better.” 

As they resumed walking, Daniel suddenly felt a little confused. Of course, he mostly attributed that to the rum … and the wine… and the tequila. If he was being honest, somewhere deep down he had known that there was something different about that kiss he had with Molly’s ghost. And not because it had been bad, per se. Just … different. 

“That’s it? That’s the big secret you thought made you a bad friend?”

“How are you being so calm about this right now? Daniel! We kissed! That’s not something that’s supposed to happen. Ever! We’re friends. Not that I want you to think it was a bad kiss. But still, it’s you and me and...”

“Betty, it’s okay.” Daniel said, to stop her rambling. “It happened. There’s no changing that. What’s done is done. I just asked you about what happened because I didn’t remember, and the last thing I would want was to do anything that would make you uncomfortable.”

“I wasn’t. It wasn’t.” She replied. “It was … nice. Kind of made me wonder what all the fuss was about though. For almost four years I've been hearing all these stories about what an sexual aficionado you are. But that kiss was so sweet and gentle. The last time I got kissed like that, it was by my Aunt Teresa.” Betty joked, brazen in her drunken state. Daniel had always known she wasn’t one to shy away from speaking her mind, but apparently a bottle of tequila made her even more free with her speech. Not that he minded.

“I thought I was saying goodbye to my dead wife.” Daniel said, cracking up as he defended himself. “That should give me a kissing handicap or something.”

As they broke out into another fit of laughter, Daniel threw his arm around Betty’s shoulder and they continued their walk. Another few steps later, however, they stopped when they found their bottle was empty.

“Oh no, all gone.” Betty said, with a cute little pout. 

“Hmm. The bars probably closed by now.”

“Oh well, it was nice to forget. Even if it was just for a little while.” 

Not liking her defeated tone, Daniel managed to come up with a plan.  
“Wait! In my hotel room right now is a welcome basket with those cute little bottles of alcohol-”

“I don’t know, Daniel…”

“And some of those liquor chocolates…” His tone was playful, as he knew Betty was never one to turn down something sweet.

“Chocolate _and_ alcohol?” She asked, innocently. To which Daniel just nodded his head, grinning from ear to ear. He was happy to be able to do something to help Betty, after all the times she had been there to support him in his lowest moments. “Okay, maybe just a few.”

Practically giddy, the two friends made their way to Daniel’s hotel room. 

* * *

They took turns shushing each other, as they not so quietly walked down the hall. The only time they were truly quiet was when Betty hinted through pantomime that they were passing by Matt’s room. Once they were inside his suite, Daniel went to open the gift basket as Betty flopped down on the bed. 

“I can’t believe, just across the hall, my ex-boyfriend is having sex with my ex-roomate.”

“There were a lot of -exes in that sentence.” Daniel said, handing her a chocolate as he sat down on the other side of the mattress.

“I really thought Matt and I could be something real.” Betty said, in between bites. “But the way he gave up on us so quickly … I don’t know. Maybe I’m better off without all that drama.”

“You are definitely better off. You deserve better than some spoiled, rich brat who can’t handle not getting what he wants.”

“Are you speaking from personal experience?” She jested.

“I just know what you deserve, Betty. And it’s definitely better than anyone with the name Hartley... Jr or Sr.”

“Not to change the subject.” Betty said, rolling over onto her stomach. “I know why I needed to have fun tonight, but you never told me why you did.”

“It’s nothing, really.” Daniel replied, but judging from the look on her face, Betty needed more than that to be convinced. “Marc pointed out earlier that I’m not the same person I once was. He said I’d changed, and you know what? He’s right. I need to try something new. In the past, my old coping mechanism was to have sex with some hot, gorgeous woman… or women.”

“I get the picture, so thank you for that.” Betty said, encouraging him to go on.

“Sorry. But, I’ve realized that’s not going to work for me anymore.”

“I’m happy for you Daniel. You really have grown. And thanks for being so understanding about the kiss thing. I hated lying to you. I’m so glad everything is out in the open now.”

“Thank you for telling me the truth. And thanks for this, I had a lot of fun tonight, Betty.”

“Me too.” She replied, with one of her signature Betty smiles. 

And that’s the last thing Daniel remembered.

He awoke the next morning with a slight headache, and his tongue felt like it was wearing a sweater. But at least there was a pleasant aroma in the air, though he couldn’t quite place at first. Strawberries? Cherries? When Daniel opened his eyes, he found that his head was buried in Betty’s hair. Eyes popping open, he was relieved to see they were both still fully clothed. 

_We must have just fallen asleep_ , he thought to himself. Looking down again, he found Betty was nestled comfortably into his side, her glasses lying between them. As they had started on opposite sides of the bed, he figured they shifted in their sleep. As the sunlight came streaming through the glass sliding doors, Daniel noticed the way her lashes brushed her cheekbone, how her nose would twitch slightly with every breath; she looked so peaceful … and beautiful. He had forgotten how nice it felt to have the warm weight of someone’s head against his chest, suddenly feeling the urge to lean into the cuddle. The sensation stirred happy memories and familiar feelings … and then it stirred something else. Daniel hesitantly looked down, to see a full erection tenting his pants, and it only continued to grow. Surprised, Daniel wondered why this was happening. Sure, Betty smelled really good, and the way that dress hugged her curves in all the right places… but this was Betty! Before he could fall completely down that particular rabbit hole, Daniel froze as he felt her begin to stir. There was no way he could let Betty wake up next to him... in bed... with a hard-on! That would definitely make things uncomfortable for her. Thankfully, it was only her head that was touching him. 

Using his finely honed ‘sneaking out on one night stands’ skill set, Daniel got out of the bed without waking Betty. Although, he accidentally grazed her breast, which definitely didn’t help the situation. Panicking, Daniel looked around the room for some way to cover himself, as Betty would undoubtedly be waking up any second. There was nothing tall he could stand behind, and lying down on his stomach at this point would only end with a trip to the emergency room. Looking to see a couch on the other side of the suite, Daniel rushed over. Sitting down, he crossed his legs, and opened a large newspaper just in time for Betty to open her eyes and sit up. Holding her head, she was obviously having a more adverse reaction to all the drinking from the night before than Daniel was.

“Hey there … sleepyhead.” Daniel said awkwardly, silently praying that his jack would go back in the box on its own, without the need for any _intervention_.

“What happened? The last thing I remember is eating chocolates with a bitter aftertaste.”

“We fell asleep.” Daniel said, “You there, me here. I let you have the bed.” Lying almost as badly as he had with Marc, he was lucky Betty was too hungover to tell. And apparently she hadn’t even heard him, shooting off of the bed after looking at her watch.

“Oh my god! The shoot is in an hour and I have to get there before Wilhelmina.” Gathering her shoes from the floor, Betty turned to the door. As she swung it open, she looked back to Daniel. “Thanks again for last night. I really needed it. You’re a good friend.” Betty said, almost slamming the door behind her as she left. 

Putting down the newspaper, Daniel stared at the door before the familiar pang of lust reminded him that he had something to take care of before going to the photo shoot himself. However, he refused to resort to anything but a cold shower. Ice cold.

As he approached the beach, Daniel wondered if he should say anything to anyone about what had happened. After all, it wasn’t every day that you found yourself attracted to your best friend. Daniel pondered the significance, if any, of that particular revelation. Betty had always been untouchable to him, but not in a repulsive way, not in years. Rather, Daniel valued their relationship too much to ruin it with sex, not that he ever thought Betty would be interested in him that way. That issue had been put to bed when she was dating Henry… or so he thought. Walking closer, he could see Betty tending to the photo-shoot like a pro. She had texted him about some change in the plans, somehow not once mentioning that the change included Shakira. As she finished talking to Wilhelmina, Daniel headed over to Betty to check in.

“You’re looking good, Shakira!”

“Hips don’t lie!” Daniel called out to the pop star, before getting silenced by Betty.

“Oh no, she doesn’t like it when you do that.”

“Nice job getting her by the way. This is gonna be a great cover.”

“Yeah, well she really liked that story about Annette Kellerman causing the scandal and getting arrested for wearing that swimsuit on the beach. Who pitched that?” Betty asked, coyly.

“I have no idea.” Daniel joked, earning himself a playful shove.

At the contact, he thought back to the night before, and wondered if their friendship was really strong enough to survive anything; be it a kiss or something more. The only thing he knew for sure was that he wanted to preserve their friendship above all else. Before Daniel could think anything through further, all hell broke loose. Who could have guessed that Connor Owens would have been arrested by the FBI right there on a beach in the Bahamas. 

* * *

Things didn’t really calm down again until everyone was back in New York. But that just gave Daniel more time to stew.

Sitting at his desk, looking over the proofs, he still found his mind occupied with something, or rather someone, else. The first, and so far only, time he got turned on since Molly died was when he woke up in bed with Betty. And that made Daniel start to question everything. There was obviously an attraction there, he couldn’t deny that anymore. Even before waking up together, thinking about their kiss had piqued his interest. Maybe this was a conversation he and Betty needed to have. And at that moment, almost as if by fate, Betty walked into his office.

“Hey, I was just thinking about… there’s, um, something I wanted to talk to you about.” He said.

“And I have some pretty great news to tell you too.”

“You go first.”

“Matt and I are officially back together!” Betty said, and suddenly Daniel felt a dry lump in his throat. 

“Really?”

“Yeah. We had lunch earlier today. Turns out nothing happened between him and Amanda.”

“That’s great, Betty. I’m happy for you. As long as this is what you want?”

“It is. I didn’t realize how much until I thought I lost him.” The sparkle in her eyes was undeniable, Betty was very happy. “So, you said you needed to talk to me about something?”

“I just …” Daniel realized he couldn’t implode her happiness, after all it was just a fleeting attraction he was feeling; disappearing by the second. Betty was his best friend, of course he cared about her. And now, at least, he knew that was a qualification for getting turned on. “I just wanted to tell you again what a great job you did. The proofs came out amazing.”

“Oh! Let me see.” Betty, in her usual fashion, gave no thought to personal space as she walked over next to Daniel. Leaning over him, she looked at the proofs through the magnifier loupe. Daniel inhaled that familiar scent that now seemed intoxicating. But he pulled away immediately, trying to push the feeling away when he felt something stirring again, down below. 

He kept trying to get it out of head all the way from his office to the elevator, where he met Amanda who was also on her way out.

“You okay?” He asked, as she was obviously upset.

“I guess. I’m just not used to being the one who gets dumped. Especially before I do any of the crazy things that usually end my relationships.”

“I’m sorry, I know you really liked him.”

“Well, as they say in Betty’s native tongue; Que sera, sera.” Amanda replied, impatiently waiting for the elevator doors to open.

“If you need anything…” Daniel started to say, as their eyes met. 

Finally, the elevator arrived and they stepped on without a word.

It wasn’t too long before Amanda jumped him.


	2. Be-Shure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a lot shorter - and some of them probably will be.
> 
> This is a continuation of the first chapter AND a scene I think we were sorely robbed of from the episode 'Be-Shure'. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Daniel wasn’t avoiding Betty … per say. It had just happened to work out that way after coming back from the Bahamas. She had been busy  _ reconnecting  _ with Matt, while Daniel had been preoccupying himself with work and, on occasion, Amanda. Between their no strings ‘fun-buddy relationship, and having Marc as his new assistant, he didn’t really have to rely on Betty as much anymore. At least, that’s what he told himself. Besides, they still had an in-person encounter or two throughout the week. Betty would either come find him or they would bump into each other in the halls somewhere, so he was absolutely not avoiding her.  _ Just today she had stolen half of my morning bagel,  _ Daniel thought to himself as he walked towards his office. One of the many steps Daniel took to not stir up any feeling about what he now referred to as "the incident”, had been to avoid thinking about it and any less than pure thoughts he may have about his best friend. Which had, ironically, made all things Betty his main focus at all times. That led to the second step, working late when everyone was gone and he could actually focus. 

Tonight, however, he had a surprise walking into his office in her polka-dot heels. 

“Hey! You’re here late?” Betty said, walking over to place a stack of papers on his desk.

“Seems like the only time of day I can actually get anything done anymore.” Daniel said with a breathy chuckle, acutely aware of the double meaning of that sentence. “You’re here pretty late too. Wait, I thought your Dad’s new girlfriend was coming over to celebrate Christmas-Hanukkah?”

“She did. And it was … _interesting_ to say the least. I came here to finish up on some work I kind of skipped out on this afternoon.”

“Betty, you of all people shouldn’t feel guilty about playing hookie from work. I’m sure you had a very good reason.” Daniel hadn’t even looked up as he replied, instead staring intently at the email on the screen. However when Betty didn't move to leave, her silence told Daniel that something else was going on. He looked up to see her looking intently at him, something in her eyes he didn’t know if he had seen before.

“When did you know you were ready to start a family? Or that you even wanted one?” Betty blurted out. 

“Wow. Where did that come from?” He replied, slightly surprised by the question - and even more concerned why she was asking.

“When did you know? Because when I met you, Daniel, you were the last person I thought would ever be ready for the whole having kids thing.” Betty huffed, as she sat down in one of the chairs across from him. “I left work early, because I needed to go home to take a pregnancy test.” She admitted finally, after a brief pause.  


“Oh my god, Betty, are you…?” Daniel gestured, getting as nervous as if he was the father. Which was a statistical improbability, but still.

“No, no.” Betty replied, allowing Daniel to breathe properly. “Hilda is though, but that’s a whole other thing.”

“So, when you thought you were … you know. You weren’t happy about it?”

Betty stood up, pacing back and forth before turning to give Daniel an answer.

“I don’t know. I mean, I was relieved when it was negative. Am I a horrible person for not wanting one now? But what if this the sign of something deeper? What if I’m never ready? I always assumed that I would have kids … you know, eventually!” 

Seeing that she was spiraling, Daniel got up from his desk and walked towards her. Guiding her over to his couch, he sat them both down.

“Okay, first off. You are the least horrible person I know. Betty, it’s perfectly normal to not want that life right now. You’re just starting your career, you have your whole future ahead of you." Daniel's words seemed to calm her down enough, he thought he would go for the whole gambit "And as for your earlier question; I didn’t exactly know I wanted kids. It was sort of thrust upon me when DJ showed up and I had to choose it. Something tells me that if you had been pregnant, you would have chosen to be a mom; no questions asked. And It’s okay to be happy that you don’t have to make that choice right now.”

“Thank you, Daniel. That makes me feel a little better.” Betty smiled at him, and for the first time in weeks, he didn’t push the feelings away. She gave him a thankful pat on the arm before standing up. Betty was halfway to the door when Daniel finally asked the question that had been at the back of his mind since she told him about the scare.

“Hey, how did Matt feel about all this? Does he even know?”

“He does, and he got pretty excited about it at first. Which is another reason why I felt so horrible about not being happy.”

“Oh. Well, I have a feeling that with the right person, at the right time, you will be very happy.”  


“I hope so. I'll see you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Betty.” He replied, as she left. 

* * *

_ White bed sheets flowed with movement all around them, a bright sunlight sneaking through the empty spaces. Daniel couldn’t see her, but he could feel her beneath him. His eyes were closed, making every sensation feel even stronger. The skin of her thigh was smooth under the touch of his fingers, a heavy breath escaping her lips as his found a sensitive spot just below her ear. There was no sound in the room, save for the rustling of the sheets in between soft, breathy moans. He could feel her pressing her naked body flush against his, as the soft cotton of the sheets danced on his back. Hearts beating in tandem, their lips found each other in a passionate kiss. Tangling his hands in her long, silky, dark hair, Daniel’s nose picked up a touch of something fruity which made her taste even more delicious. Losing themselves in each other, Daniel felt his body reacting on instinct. Rolling them over so she was on top, Daniel felt his pulse racing towards the edge with ecstasy just out of reach… _

* * *

Daniel shot up in bed, his entire body covered in sweat. Looking down, he saw the cause of his current physical strain was a full erection. Amanda rolled over, taking in the sight before her.

“Don’t tell me you started without me. Naughty boy.” She said, giving Daniel a playful wink before disappearing underneath the dark covers. As Amanda helped to relieve the pressure, Daniel made sure to keep his eyes focused on the wall ... and wide open.


End file.
